Tycho, an Electrogaze band who surprisingly put out their fourth full-length album with no warning. Tycho and frontman Scott Hansen, whom started the band, sound and image, has strategically made every aspect and detail in this album for a specific reason. Hansen’s blog post on Tycho’s album artwork evolution says it all from detail-mannered to minimalism to bringing back the color from his first self-released EP ‘The Science of Patterns’.

This is an article where the views are subjective, due to the nature of the blog and my admiration of Hansen’s and Tycho’s work over the last decade. As a megafan and occasional concert goer here is the list of the Best of Tycho.

Coastal Brake (Dive): One of the final songs that aren’t entitled after a single word, Coastal Brake takes you through an experiential journey starting with the first bass drop of a decoration of beautiful linking notes.

A Walk (Dive): The first sound of Tycho I ever heard. Simplistic yet complex in the breathes and percussion addition. The Synth progression truly is; a walk.

Dictaphone’s Lament (Past is Prologue): One of the most beautiful melodies heard to date. Hansen’s mother, a transcriptionist, recorded him and his brother as the featured vocals added to the track.

Epoch (Epoch): A track to personify an entire album. Every sound and sensory detail carefully placed into the song to embody the album itself.

Red Bridge (The Science of Patterns): With a trance(y) hook it’s hard to stay away from this journey. The simplicity links back to the complexity of Epoch with an emphasis on drums.

See (Awake): The music video really tells the narrative on this track. Beyond visuals, one of the most diverse songs in terms of sound on Tycho’s portfolio with some very in your face guitar complimented by the classic synth in transition.

Rings (Epoch): A flashback to the Dive era with vocal underlay and an emphasis on on the synth aspect yet the persistence of the presence of Awake with drum work.

Adrift (Dive): Simplicity meets a classic rhythm in a beautiful harmony. The speed of drums and the slow/persistent electronica.

Cloud Generator (Past is Prologue): Tycho classic. The alpha and omega of the song being the weather report from a marine radio. The in-between of a soft chorus and a staccato snare drum feels right. Not to mention the beautiful speed transition.

Plains (Awake): The sequel in the trilogy of guitar-centered encores to each of Tycho’s LP’s. The barrier and combination of the nature of Tycho with the the new-age Tycho is a fitting evolution.

Lastly a note to share is that Hansen revealed in a Reddit AMA that Dive, Awake and Epoch are a trilogy. But the sequels don’t end there; Elegy, Plains and Field. Hours, L and Epoch. Dive, Awake and Source.